draft: champion without a country

The RailHawks are playing for the first and last USSF-D2 Pro League championship. It's a sanctioned game that will be entered into the record books, but it will be sort of like a king without a country. The U.S. Soccer Federation has done a solid job of maintaining orderly second-division play this year after the breakdown of the old USL-1 league, but nonetheless, it's been a discouraging seaso—all the more so in that it's occurred during a World Cup year.

The lower divisions are in turmoil. Of the 12 teams that comprised the second division this year, two are moving to the first-division MLS, two or three clubs are in grave danger of folding and another is rumored to be contemplating a relocation.

Clubs associated with USLAustin Aztex (rumored to be comtemplating a move to Orlando, Fla.)Rochester Rhinos (formerly a part of NASL, but not part of the latest bid to USSF for D2 sanctioning, not officially USL member)